Rajbangshis call off protest - Protesters driven away, 6 days to normalise train service

The cleared rail tracks in Cooch Behar on Tuesday. Picture by Main Uddin Chisti

TT, Cooch Behar, Feb. 23: The Greater Cooch Behar People's Association that blocked railway tracks for three days over a Union Territory demand called off its protest today after its supporters were lathicharged and the tracks cleared.

Railway officials said normal service would be restored in about six days.

In an operation that barely lasted 40 minutes, the police used tear gas and batons to disperse around 1,000 supporters of the GCPA, whose protest has hampered train service in north Bengal and the Northeast for three days.

Bangshi Badan Burman, the GCPA secretary and spearhead of the movement who escaped during the police action, later said over phone that the movement had been withdrawn for now but their demand for a Union Territory remains.

Fourteen policemen were injured as the supporters, sensing the build-up for a police crackdown, started throwing stones picked up from near the tracks at the cops. Thirty supporters of the GCPA, which wants Union Territory status for Greater Cooch Behar, were injured in the baton-charge.

This evening, the police called Bhabesh Chandra Barman, the deputy secretary of the GCPA, and Girija Roy, the convener of the outfit, towards the platform of New Cooch Behar station and asked them to tell their supporters to disperse.

"You can use as many bullets you want. Our blockade will remain. We will not move till a representative of the Union home ministry meets us over our demand of a Union Territory for Greater Cooch Behar," Bhabesh told the officers.

Rajbangshis consider parts of Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar and four districts of Assam as Greater Cooch Behar. Earlier, the GCPA had demanded a separate state of greater Cooch Behar.

Around 11am, the police started gathering at the New cooch Behar station platform. Railway Protection Force (RPF) jawans were also present. Police sources said around 300 security personnel had been deployed for the operation. Doctors from the health services in a van were also on the spot.

The GCPA, on seeing the increase in police numbers since the morning, called in more supporters. In the morning, there were around 400 GCPA protesters, including Bangshi Badan Barman. By 4pm, the crowd of protesters had swelled to around 1,000.

Around 4.30 pm, Raj Kanojia, the director-general of police, intelligence branch, who had arrived from Calcutta, came to the station.

Announcements over a loud hailer requesting the squatters to leave were made. "What you are doing is unlawful and is inconveniencing a lot of people and causing losses to the railway. We are requesting you to leave," an officer said over the loud hailer.

Soon after, the police called Bhabesh and Girija and took them into custody.

As the police moved towards the tracks with their batons, the squatters started throwing stones.

Bangshi Badan managed to escape in the melee and later said over phone that the movement was being withdrawn.

"We have decided to withdraw the agitation for the time being. Our demand still remains and we will announce our next programme in due time," he said.